Redwood National Park, CA

After enjoying many of the kitschy sightseeing stops along the Redwood Highway during our drive north, we were eager to explore the Redwood National Park...

This is a very interesting park, as it is intertwined with the California State Park system.  There are mountains, meadows, and the Pacific Ocean to explore within its borders.  It also intertwines through towns from Orick, CA to Klamath, CA to Crescent City, CA.  Where should we start???  The visitor center, of course. :) (They have FOUR of them in this park!)  We need to pick up junior ranger booklets, as well as pick the ranger's brain as to what to see and do.


We decided to take the Coastal Trail scenic trail to the visitor center...

This is heading up the Coastal Trail a few miles from our campsite...which is around to the right back where the water goes to the right side of the photo the farthest.  This is where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean.
I'll post a picture from the hillside that you're looking straight at later in this post...we went whale watching right there!

The Lord is everywhere :)
On the Coastal Trail in the Redwood National Park

View from the High Bluffs on the Coastal Trail

A little friend we found on the trail :)
Faith played "Stump the Ranger" with this find to earn her badge.
It's the Pacific Sideband.

We finally made it to the visitor center...and the sun came out!
Yay!!!

Moving like banana slugs to earn their Junior Ranger badges :)

Ranger Liam giving them their badges with a little humor :)

After earning their badges...we walked the beach right outside the visitor center.
It's amazing how quickly the weather turns here!  We walked into the visitor center under blue skies and sunshine...and walked out under a cloudy sky and rain!

As always...touching the water is a requirement for the kids :)
The black pebbly beach was so pretty and unique...so different than the sugary white sands the kids grew up with...

Neat find...

We're off to the next trail to explore...this one we'll do on foot.  It's the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail.  The sunshine has decided to stay away for the afternoon, but the rain just added to the mystique of the redwoods.

We think we found a bald eagle's nest!  It was huge!

To try to show the size... this is just the bottom of the tree!   It had been gutted by fire, but it still grows strong.
We're inside the tree and not even close to the back of it.

Touches of spring in the redwoods :)
(I took this while walking, that's why it's blurred.)

After hiking through the redwoods, we found elk grazing by the roadside... so cool!

I barely have the camera zoomed in...they are right next to our truck!

Camera unzoomed.  The elk are as tall as the car.

We took the scenic byway back to Klamath.

Oops...one more kitschy photo :)
The Golden Bear Bridge, Klamath, CA

We decided to go whale watching to end the day.  

This photo is taken on the ridge across the spit from the Coastal Trail...which is the ridge over Faith's shoulder.  The water behind her is where the Klamath River runs into the Pacific Ocean. 

Our campsite is to the left of the photo.

This is the best picture I could do with my Coolpix :)
Is that a whale in the middle???

Coming down the hill from whale watching, we spy our camper...it's the white spot on the left :)
Klamath River

By the time we got to the camper...the sun came back out!
What a gorgeous evening!!!!

A rainbow to end the day!  God reminding us that He always keeps His promises...
I took this picture from our camper.

Day two in the Redwood NP we checked out False Klamath Cove and tide pools at low tide...

Gorgeous beach and gorgeous girl :)

These two had a blast climbing on all the rocks together.

These were everywhere...if you touch it gently, it closes up.

See the crab?

Two best friends...exploring together :)

Not sure what this is???

Faith found another one of these on a shell...
We need to research and figure out what it is.
Anyone know????

My favorite sight in the tide pools :)

The most exciting find of the day:

When we drove by the next morning... this is what we saw:

False Klamath Cove:  High Tide
Those rocks in the middle of the water is where we were!

False Klamath Cove:  Low Tide
This is DT running down to those same rocks that are in the middle
of the ocean at high tide!

Perspective:

A redwood seed is so little, but its potential is gigantic with thousands of years in its legacy.
How much more is in us?